I really don’t want to sound angry as we are in the middle of the Christmas season, but as I stare at this blank screen attempting to come up with something to say about the year’s ending, it’s difficult not be discouraged and just a tad cheesed.

I mean, 2020 was a dumpster fire of massive proportions. Clearly it was one of the worst years in American/world history from so many perspectives: a pandemic that caused the overload of our health system and hundreds of thousands of deaths as well as an economic disaster.

The pandemic showed us just how vulnerable we are to such an event. We were unprepared to say the least.

As I grow older, I had hoped to have greater understanding about life. Instead, I feel that I understand less. This past year has shown me my lack of comprehension.

Twenty twenty-one should have been much better. With the advent of vaccinations and the slow but steady return to whatever is normal for you, one expected that we would see improvements to not just our public health, but also the restoration of the economy.

That didn’t quite happen, though, did it? This past year was as bad, if not worse, than 2020, because we should have done the right thing and too many of us made a conscious choice to ignore the ramifications of a lack of action.

We had an armed insurrection on Jan. 6 that was designed to prevent the legal and peaceful transfer of power as dictated by the results of the presidential elections. I never really thought I’d see this traitorous act in this country, but we all did.

For reasons I don’t understand, there are still many people who refuse to become vaccinated. I comprehend some people have fears of the relative unknown the vaccines represent, but at this point we have seen the effectiveness of the vaccines. They have been shown to prevent infection and lessen the effects of a break-through case.

Yes, I know I will be called names for that statement. People have called me plenty of names in the past 22 years here at this job and the five years I was on talk radio. Geez, one of the close friends of our former owners insisted I was a “communist” because he didn’t agree with me. That appears to be the most common slur I’ve been labeled over the past 30-plus years

Calling me names – or other people with whom you disagree – will not accomplish anything in lessening the effects of the pandemic. It simply creates more confusion and panic. There are no solutions in that.
Partisan politics has hobbled the Biden Administration to have its legislative agenda fully passed. Yes, I know American politics used to be about collaboration and now it has descended into tribal conflict.

There is a sizable group of people in this country absolutely dedicated to nothing but their own interests and ideology and they exist on both sides of the aisle.

It’s continuing to be distressful to me that some people still buy into the cult of Trump, but then I see it as a religion that has replaced those with compassion. In my extended family I have several members who have stopped speaking to us because of politics. It’s a shame that people who call themselves “family” can not talk and can not work through their differences, but that’s life in 2021.

We saw the effects of climate change continue to devastate huge parts of the country and there are still people clinging to the notion we don’t have to make any changes to our lifestyles.

Tell yourself whatever story you must in order to get through the day, but ignoring what’s going on is not going to solve anything.

For reasons that I can’t explain, I have hope, though, for 2022. At my age I think all of my hope should have been squeezed out of me years ago, but there is some still left in me.

I’m hoping the remaining resistance to vaccinations turns around and this surge in which we now find ourselves opens people’s eyes.

I’m hoping employers understand that workers deserve closer to a living wage, if not actually achieving that. I’m getting so tired of CEOs making millions while their employees are suffering.

I’m hoping people will think before blindly accepting some ideological point of view. I’m hoping people understand we are a nation of laws dedicated to a Constitution.

I’m hoping people start to take their own steps to protect the environment. I’m hoping that through social media we see a resurgence in kindness and in treating people correctly.

Most of these wishes are within our own individual power. We have the ability to live better lives and to build a better society.

Let’s make 2022 truly a happy new year.